Unlikely
by Jayne's Moonbrain
Summary: Clint and Kate meet in an unlikely situation and sparks fly. Whether they admit it or not.


+Avengers prompt -Unlikely  
Clint and Kate meet in an unlikely situation and sparks fly. Whether they admit it or not.

Clint had no idea why more people didn't like Bruce. Sure, he was the Hulk. But he was also a great guy and funny! Hell of a cook too. His world travels (see: running) had gained him a wealth of knowledge on many subjects including cooking techniques. And all that was great! But Bruce Banner was a terrible shopping partner. They'd been at the mall for a solid hour and had purchased nothing. This was only partly due to the unwashed, ridiculous looking teens loitering in the main drag. They had been in LA for a few days so far, staying in Tony's palatial rebuilt house for Steve and Natasha's wedding. Right?! Who saw that one coming? Well, Clint did  
but that was beside the point. The point was, they needed a wedding gift. And were having zero luck  
finding one. Clint hated the mall.

"Why don't we just ask Tony to build them a war room with punching bags and targets and lots of knives?"Clint whined. Bruce rolled his eyes. "Because you would never leave their room and that'd be awkward!" He answered dryly. 'The comedy stylings of Bruce Banner, ladies and gentlemen!' They were on their way currently to a store called 'memento'. It was one of those stores that engraved everything. Classic wedding gift place. But neither Nat or Steve were exactly typical.

"Welcome. I'm Stacy. What can I help you find?"an annoying voice chirped the second they crossed the stores threshold. Bruce sighed. "We're looking for a wedding gift for our friends. But they're not exactly..."Bruce trailed off looking at Clint for help. "Um...the crystal serving bowl types?" The woman huffed arrogantly. "We also have a large collection of steins and flasks all with the capability to be monogrammed." Clint wondered idly if he could get 'boss bitch' on Natasha's flask. At lease she'd laugh. Bruce shook his head in thought. "Not sure the groom would appreciate that. He's a little...old world when it comes to these things."

The woman's nostrils flared in annoyance. "Alright. Well, we have decorative sabers, cake cutting tools..."she trailed off, clearly not pleased. Clint laughed. "I think they'd appreciate something more functional than decorative." The woman sighed and pursed her lips. "Perhaps his and her guns. The sporting goods store is at the end of this corridor. " Her tone was flippant and Clint really appreciated that they'd pissed her off. Uptight bitch. "That's not a bad idea..."Bruce trailed off in thought. "Thank you miss!"Bruce said happily, dragging Clint to Outdoor World.

"Are we really going to get his and hers guns? Because Nat would smack us for getting her a pink gun. Or anything that made her identifiable. She's finicky that way..." Clint trailed off. A crowd of people was gathered around the Outdoor World front watching what looked like an archery competition. There was a smug looking skinny guy shooting (incorrectly too!) at the target and was seemingly impressing the crowd. Bruce nudged Clint who rolled his eyes. Showing that guy up would be too easy. "Any challengers?" The little punk asked and Clint wanted to shoot just to shut him up. "Right here. Challenger in purple!"a female voice yelled. She was dragging her (very pretty) friend in a purple tank top towards the front.

The girl was glaring daggers at her friend but took the recurve anyway. She said something to the manager, who was presiding over the proceedings like a king of old, and he signaled a clerk. The clerk came a minute later with an arm guard and a different (looked heavier) bow. "What's your name sweetheart?" The snot nosed punk asked her, eyeing her backside. She notched a arrow, lined up her shot, and turned to him. "It's Kate." And fired without looking. Bullseye! Bruce's eyes widened next to Clint and he nudged his arm.

"Got a kid somewhere?"Banner asked with a smile. Clint narrowed his eyes. "If I had her when I was like, 12." Banner laughed. "It's possible..."he was smug as hell. It wasn't. Clint had lost his v card at 15, so unless the girl was 17 or under and that condom had broke, wasn't possible. She looked a little older than 17 too (thankfully!). Clint would feel sick if he found out she was under 18. She looked maybe 20.

The slimy punk looked scandalized and the crowd was murmuring happily around her. "Beginners luck!"the kid finally choked out. "Do it again!"he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Kate shrugged her shoulders and lined herself up. She took a deep breath and notched another arrow. 'Ssssflip!" Another bullseye. She turned to the kid smiling. It wasn't smug or a mean smile. She genuinely enjoyed shooting. "What about a moving target!"he bit out. She rolled her eyes. "Only if you suit up and run!"she replied sweetly. "How about blindfolded?"Clint called out. Her eyes scanned the crowd until she met his. Her eyes widened. She recognized him?!

"Yea yea! A blindfold!"the punk kid yelled. "You'd be expected to do the same test!"Bruce called, egging the excitement on. The crowd was a buzz. Shopping and a show! Clint watched eagerly as the manager blindfolded Kate and centered her. Kate smirked a little and notched an arrow. The kid yelled something just as she was shooting but she wasn't effected. Another bullseye. She turned back to the crowd and untied the blindfold. Everyone cheered and she gave a cute little bow.

The crowd began dissipating, clearly over the humiliation of grease ball. Kate and her friend walked happily in to the store. Clint followed right behind her. "What a performance!"he said and got her attention. She turned slightly. "Why didn't you take the challenge?" She said back, voice high and clear. He shrugged. "Wouldn't have been fair. Though, you aren't exactly an amateur either." She actually blushed! Bruce appeared beside him. "That was impressive."he said, genuine. She smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure hotshot here could have shown me up."

Bruce turned worried eyes to Clint who nodded once and Bruce visibly relaxed. "So that would make you..."Kate trailed off. Bruce swallowed hard. "Maybe we should talk about this elsewhere!"her friend suggested in a hushed voice. Clint held a hand toward the friend who shook it and simply said "Cassie."  
"Yea , lets go somewhere else to talk!"Kate agreed. "You aren't going anywhere you little bitch!" The pasty kid from earlier said in his nasally voice. With a gun pointed at Kate.

To her credit, Kate didn't even look scared. Clint wrapped his hand around Bruce's wrist to center him. "Lots of people here B..."Clint started. There were hundreds of people in this mall. They were on the second floor. Who knew how well this floor was made. If Bruce 'got angry', the whole mall could be in danger. Kate's whole body radiated calm. "You're gonna shoot me because I bested you at archery?" She said in a calm voice. The kid sneered.

"No. I'm gonna shoot you because you're a privileged little super bitch! The archery thing isn't even an issue." Cassie who was beside Kate was radiating anger. "Fuck you grease ball!"she said with clenched teeth. His cold eyes turned to Cassie. "You can die too! Bitches like you walking in here like you own the place. Go ahead. Call daddy, bitch!" He cackled. Clint put a hand on Cassie's shoulder trying to center her too. Kate took a deep breath. "If you know who I am then you know this is a mistake. Broad daylight in a public area. Not the best plan." She said hands up.

The punk looked smug again. "What makes you think I came up with this plan. Maybe someone hired me. Maybe someone close to you." Clint got instantly sick. Someone was after this girl he'd just met. He sure knew how to pick them! "The fuck did you just say?!"Cassie growled. Bruce let out a deep breath. By now, the rest of the occupants of the store had hit the deck in worry over the gun and shooter. "Put the gun down now."Bruce said, not exactly sounding human. He was losing it from what the kid was saying. Clint had to think fast. The kid hadn't really acknowledged Clint and Bruce yet.

"I will shoot your furry ass too! Don't make me fuck you up, old man!"he shouted. Worried. Not confident. The kid knew he couldn't take all of them. Two exits. Clothing racks on either side of the aisle they were in. But Clint was behind Kate and Cassie and would have to move them both before he could attack the kid. Cassie was too tense for Clint to effectively move her. Better chance with Kate who seemed to trust him. Kate's arm left her side to hold Cassie's hand. One finger was tapping on Cassie's open palm. She had a plan!

"You need to put the gun down. Regardless of how you feel about me, you're putting all these people in danger. Have you watched the news lately? Hostage situations never end up good for the one with the gun!" Kate said in a snarky voice. "Shut up bitch! I've got connections. I won't serve a day."he said smugly. Kate outright laughed. "Did my dad tell you that?" The guys face paled considerably (which was impressive considering how pale he started!). Kate continued. "Even if he paid you up front, there's no way out of this. All of these people have seen you. You're on several security cameras. A whole crowd of witnesses will say this was personal. Even if you kill me, you can't kill every one before someone escapes. You're gonna die. Or go to jail at the least. How much did you get for me anyway?"she asked with an evil look on her face.

She was under his skin and breaking his focus. Clint pulled her body up against his, ready to move her when the time was right. Cassie glanced back at Clint. She must have figured it out because she took a step to her left, away from Kate. They were giving him room. "That's not true! Not at all! You're just trying to freak me out! Won't work. Won't work." Whoever hired him had done well in finding someone who could pass for sick. He had a decent shot at insanity. "No one is gonna remember this in a week. This is LA. Ya know, I don't even know your name hotshot!"

Clint's cue. He let go of Banner's wrist and pushed through both girls, knocking them to the ground. There was a small second where Clint was in the air toward the gunmen whose eyes had widened. And then he connected. The gun rattled to the floor, unfired. Clint's body covered the kids, wrestling his hand to the ground. Banner grabbed a pair of handcuffs sill in the pack and ripped it open, locking the kid to a clothing rack of work out pants. The kid had been knocked out in the struggle. Sighs of relief were let out all around the store. Clint guessed they had all been watching. Kate stood up slowly and people cheered, happy she was ok.

"Thanks Hawkeye." She said softly with a smile. Clint nodded, processing his adrenaline accordingly. It hadn't been much of a fight but it was a lot of build up. Cassie stood up, arm bleeding from smacking it against something when he pushed her. Bruce came to her side immediately. "Let me take a look at that."he said, calm and collected now that the threat was dealt with. Cassie showed him the injured arm, blood dripping to the floor. "Looks pretty deep. Lets go grab a first aid kit."he offered Cassie his arm. She smiled winningly at him as they strolled to the camping section.

Kate turned toward Clint. "Flirting through the pain. That's Cassie!"she sad with a smile. Clint smiled back. "This is why I never come to the mall!"he said. She snorted. "Yea, I'm sure this happens to you all the time!"she said with a smirk. "You'd be surprised how many beautiful women I save from doom at the mall..."he replied, mouth tipping up. Kate bit her bottom lip slightly. "Saving damsels in distress...why you became a superhero right?"she asked. Clint nodded vigorously. "And the benefits. Great dental plan."he said, flashing his teeth.

She took a step toward him. "Would it be totally cliche for the damsel to kiss her hero?" Clint took a step toward her. "Ya know, there's a reason we have cliches." She smiled. "You didn't actually answer me." Clint took another step, nearly flush against her. "Well, you weren't exactly a damsel..."he started, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Though if you felt compelled to kiss me, I wouldn't stop you." Her smile widened before she stood on her toes and pressed her lips firmly to his. Clint's arms went around her waist as their mouths opened together.

As first kisses go, pretty much epic. Kate sighed against his mouth and then moaned as his tongue rubbed hers teasingly. She nipped his bottom lip and Clint's arms tightened around her. "Geez! We were gone like 5 minutes!"Cassie's voice cut through their kiss induced fog. They pulled apart reluctantly. Cassie and Bruce were both smiling anyway. Kate turned back to him with a winning smile. "See ya around hotshot!" Kate and Cassie began heading out before Clint's head woke up. "Wait! Can I get a phone number at least?"he asked.

She smiled widely. He took his phone out and waved it at her. She typed her number in and handed it back to him. Cassie was making kissy noises at them. Kate rolled her eyes and kissed Clint lightly. She walked away, hips swaying dangerously.

Clint loved the mall.


End file.
